Unilever sells snacks brand Snacks Brand to Candy Kittens, a vegan confectionery company founded by Chelsea Star Jamie Laing, to Chelsea Star Jamie Laing, in Deal Hestem to be worth $ 36 million.
The transaction will see the FTSE 100 Consumer Goods Group take on Katjes International, which holds a majority stake in Candy Kittens. The sale is part of a wider restructuring at Unilever as Chief Executive Fernando Fernández seeks to reposition the group for more sustainable beauty and personal care and to offload weaker goods.
Graze, founded in 2005 as one of the UK’s box subscription services, gained prominence for its portion controlled punnets of nuts, seeds and grain bars sold in supermarkets across the country. Unilever acquired the business from private Carlyle in 2019, in a deal reported at the time to reach £ 150 million, amid increasing enthusiasm for direct consumer products.
But then, the momentum wears off. GRAZE did not turn a profit under Unilever’s ownership and recorded a loss of £8.7 million last year as revenue fell nearly 10 percent to £35.6 million. Direct sales of consumers – Where the engine of the main disposal of the product – is organized in a more awake area of post-pandemic post-pandemic consumers.
The sale price represents a steep discount to 2019 estimates, underscoring the challenges facing Unilever’s food portfolio.
It comes as the company is reportedly looking to divest more of Brititage’s heritage brands – including marmite, and is preparing to dump its entire ice cream division, home to Magnum and Ben, Jerry’s, in an expected IPO later this month.
Unilever said GRAze will benefit from special management outside the group.
Georgina Bradford, its UK and Ireland Food Manager, said the brand was “well placed for its next phase of growth”, adding that a dedicated owner focused on healthy eating would be best placed to unlock its potential.
With taming and candy kittens the founder of Williams, adoption fulfills a bad wish. The couple have previously described their inspiration for their business, which launched in 2012 and has grown into one of the fastest growing confectionery brands in the UK.
“Bringing Plaze to the Candy Kittens Group marks a milestone,” the company said.
Laing added: “I’ve always loved Glaze – they’ve changed the way the UK thinks about healthy eating, and I think we can take that and be excited about the opportunity to continue to build the graze brand.”
Candy Kittens, known for its vegan sweets and colorful products, first opened a store on the king’s street in Chelsea in 2014, the TV Laing profile to reach young, knowledgeable consumers. The takeover of graze marks its biggest move to date and will significantly expand its footprint in the healthy £3bn market.
The sale is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026, subject to approvals.
